Keanu Reeves Among Hollywood Stars to Condemn Alt-Right Attack on Italian Film Group

Keanu Reeves was among the 19 Hollywood actors and filmmakers who signed their names to a statement condemning an attack by fascists on the Italian cinema group Piccolo America.

According to Italian media reports, the attack occurred in the Rome neighborhood of Trastevere during a June 16 outdoor screening of Paul Schrader’s film “First Reformed.” Four members of the group were attacked for wearing the film collective’s shirts, which the attackers were reported as believing were “anti-fascist.” Five men have been detained in connection to the assault, with at least one of them being connected to the youth wing of Italy’s neo-fascist political party CasaPound.

In response, Piccolo America posted a statement on their Facebook page signed by Reeves, Schrader and recent Oscar winners Spike Lee, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron, among others.

“It is unacceptable that there is still someone that thinks they can impose their view through the use of violence,” read the statement in Italian. “We can’t accept a wound of this kind, inflicted not only to the world of art and cinema but to the whole world.”

“We express our solidarity to the youth attacked in Rome, as well as the experience of the Cinema America and all young people who create a dialogue between the world of art and people.”

The group’s founder, Valerio Carocci, also condemned the attack in an interview with IndieWire.

“We are under attack because we can talk to the vast majority of people in a very bipartisan way,” Carocci said. “It is pretty clear that all over the world right now, there is some message going on that the use of private violence is OK.”

Piccolo America is continuing its outdoor screenings throughout the summer, including a presentation of the “Star Wars” film “The Empire Strikes Back” on Sunday night.